Mass Effect - Unity
by The Drastic Raven
Summary: Several Months after the Reaper invasion, Micheal Hackett, the Admiral's grandson, develops a new ship class and propulsion drive, using it to reunite an isolated galaxy after the destruction of the mass relays. (post me3, mainly OC's)


MASS EFFECT  
UNITY

By MC Jamesond aka the Drastic Raven

lastraven1000

PS: Bioware, if you steal this idea and modify it, or use it and don't give me credit, I _**WILL**_ Sue! Remember, I am watching you...

Author's notes: This story takes place with the following paths:  
Paragon in Mass Effect 1  
Council saved in Mass Effect 1  
Wrex survives Virmire in Mass Effect 1  
No one is left behind in Mass Effect 2  
Paragon in Mass Effect 2  
Paragon in Mass Effect 3  
Synthesis in Mass Effect 3

Chapter 1  
Faith of the heart

_Abandoned Military Complex  
Area 51, Nevada; United States territories, Earth  
Date: July 4th, 2186  
Time: 17:40 HRS_**  
**  
Micheal Hackett wiped sweat from his brow, after making a few final adjustments to his new prototype ship drive. He had worked on it for months after the Reaper war. With this new drive, his new ship, the SR-3, would be able to make mass effect jumps without the use of a relay. He had tested this drive with probes, thought it was difficult with the current times. Ever since the Reaper invasion and the collapse of the Mass Relay system, Earth had been put under a state of marital law. The stranded remains of the Turian, Asari, Salarian, and other fleets were forced to colonize and even terraform habitable planets and moons in the Sol System. Things had been very difficult since that day. It had been nearly impossible for him to assemble his vessel, which was half the size of the Normandy SR-2, similar in design. But he had worked so hard on this, and now, the ship was ready to test.  
The problem was getting it past the Sol System's martial fleet. Space travel was now considered a pipe dream at best, and all but a handful of people had lost hope in ever seeing their own stars again. This ship might even be considered a weapon; that's why Micheal developed it in secret here, in the abandoned military complex of Area 51. The last place anyone would look. The complex had been abandoned since the Prothean ruins were uncovered on Mars.  
"You sure this will work, Mike?" Ziggz, a Krogan asked.  
"It has to work." Mike answered. "Ever since the Relays collapsed, I made a promise to my grandfather, Steven Hackett, that we'd see the stars again. I intend to keep it."  
"Yeah, but you know the fleet is not going to just let you launch it out and test it just like that. Plus, your grandfather resigned, so he won't be able to bail you out this time." Tori'Zilheed nor Rayya, a Quarian said.  
"I'm not giving up now!" Mike said, starting to get emotional. "I've never let my grandfather down! I can't let him down now, and this isn't just for me or him! It's for the good of the galaxy! To reunite it! That's why I worked so hard on this new X-class smart drive! The trips the other ships can't make, this one can!"  
"I understand, I'm just worried, that's all." Tori said. "The last tests were with a couple stealth-cloaked probes. Who knows how this will be?"  
"Only one way to find out!" Silva a quick-speaking Salarian snapped. "And I sure as hell ain't getting any younger! Everything's ready, we just need to get her into orbit! Sure, it'll be hard, but not impossible!"

"He is right you know." Zignas, a Turian added. You just have to believe, Tori! This ship is the start of a new age for the galaxy, the end of isolation!" He looked at the drive core of the sleek, nimble frigate. "She just needs a name now, and I'm sure Mike has one in mind!"  
"I do." He said, his eyes tearing up. "In honor of the old days... Of Commander Shepard and his sacrifice. We'll call her Normandy."

"Alright. I'll tell the workers to tattoo that on the sides of the hull, along with the SR-3 mark." Silva then walked off.

"Is everything else ready?" Micheal asked.

"Yep. We've secretly informed Urdnot Wrex. He's here right now, waiting to board for Tuchanka. Our first stop. Shouldn't take too long to get her markings. After that, we should be ready to launch." Tori said.

"Good. Then let's be ready." Mike got out his radio. "Control station Alpha. Open the launch doors. Have the crews clear the runway and ready the scram rail. Everyone else, get your belongings together and board the ship. It's all or nothing now..."

_Destiny Ascension_

_Jupiter Orbit_

_Date: July 4th, 2190  
Time: 19:40 HRS_

Steven Hackett had been re-activated and invited on-board the Destiny Ascension as an adviser. Recent events had decided he was needed again. He detested this. But he kept professional as he met with Matriarch Lidanya on the Ascension's Bridge.

"It's good to see you again, Admiral Hackett." She said.

"Can't complain too much about being back." He replied. "So what's this about, if I may ask?"

Lidanya's face turned to one of seriousness as she brought up a screen of Earth. "I'm afraid it's about your grandson, Micheal. We've just found out form orbital surveillance that he's doing something in an old military complex in the wastes of the place you know as Nevada."

Admiral Hackett caught on quickly. "Area 51? What the hell is he doing there?"

"We're not sure. He's been having space-grade building materials, weaponry, fuel, and lots of element zero shipped there. We suspect he is building something. As for what that something is, we're not sure what it..."

"Captain!" One of the officers exclaimed. "We're picking up strong dark energy reading from that Area!"

Hackett was stunned. "Dark energy readings?! That would mean he's built a... Oh no. Zoom in on that complex!" He shouted.

The officer looked to Martriarch Lidanya.

"Do it." She ordered. The screen then zoomed in on the complex. A ship was being launched off of a scram rail system! It had four engines and was sleek. Looked like a cross between a turian and human frigate. The word _Normandy _and the letters _SR_and the number three were visible on it's hull.

"Dammit, what's he doing now?!" Hackett said, irritated. "Hail that ship immediately!"

_Normandy SR-3_

"Passing through Mesosphere, Exiting through Thermosphere...We're in orbit!" John "Jester" Jamesond said from the pilot's seat. "Looks like we have company!"

"I was expecting something like that." Micheal said from the CIC via comlink. "Silva, Tori, are the engines good?"

"Everything's ready and able!" Silva said.

"I second that." Tori added.

"Good. Jester, you said you were the second best at the academy?"

"Hell yes! Would've been number one if it weren't for goody-two-shoes Jeff!" Jester replied.

"All that matters is you're the best we got! We need you to get us past that blockade! Gun it for all she's worth, Jester!" Micheal ordered.

"Gladly! Time to show everyone what I'm made of!" Jester than gunned the ship's engines, and went into a wild series of evasive maneuvers! They broke the earth blockade easily. So far, they hadn't been fired on yet.

That's when they received a transmission from the Destiny Ascension as they rocketed through the Asteroid belt.

"Dammit, Micheal!" Admiral Hackett yelled. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Something that needs to be done!" Micheal responded. "I promised you we'd see the stars again, and I'm keeping my word to that!"

Hackett sighed. "Kid, I told you, _enough_with the ship experiments! This is getting out of hand, and I'm getting _too old_for this shit! Stand down, and prepare to be..."

"NO!" Micheal yelled as Jupiter came into view. "This _will _work, Grandfather! I've tested the system already! You think just sitting around doing nothing but twiddling our thumbs will get us anywhere?! Sol's resources are already being strained as it is! I'm sorry, but we're not stopping this time... Not even for you. If you want to chase me, then so be it. But when we clear this star cluster with relay-like efficiency, you'll see I was right." He said in half sobs. "I've left blueprints for my smart drive in Area 51 if you're determined enough to try and follow me, but I am _not giving up this ship! _Fire on me if you must, but in the end, it won't matter! All that will matter is the end of galactic isolation! We need this! The _galaxy_needs this! I'm going to distribute blueprints of my X-class smart drive across the galaxy, and I can't let you or anyone else stop me this time!" Micheal then cut the transmission.

"Destiny ascension is trying to get a lock!" Jester reported.

"Evade them! Micheal to engineering, activate the target scramblers! That ought to keep them off our back!"

_Destiny Ascention_

"They've broken the Jupiter perimeter." Ops said.

Matriarch Lidanya wasn't happy. But she couldn't do much, either. They had a target scrambler active, so all they could do was try and take blind pot shots, which she wasn't doing. They only had so much ammo, after all.

"We're receiving reports throughout the system. Media is all over this thing! They've got this _Normandy SR-3 _on the vids as it flies by each planet cluster!"

Lidanya wasn't too amused with that news. They were going to have a lot of questions to answer. They were now passing Saturn.

"Send a transmission to the third fleet!" Hackett ordered. "Tell them to get into blockade formation at Neptune..."

"At their current rate of speed, they won't be able to respond that quickly." Lidanya sighed as they passed Uranus. "They're just going too fast. The only way we'll be able to catch them is if they have an engine failure..."

Admiral Hackett stepped in from of the Matriarch. "We can't just let him run off! What if this smart drive he built is a lemon? A disaster waiting to happen? He's putting himself, and everyone on that ship in danger! At least try to counter his target jammer, maybe we can..."

"Counter his jammer? What do you think we've tried to do?" Tactical snapped.

"Easy, lieutenant." Lidanya said. "Hackett, we've tried, and I'm not wasting ammo for some blind firing on a ship that size just to miss entirely!" Lidanya said as they passed by Uranus. "Besides, now it's too late. They're already too far gone from the system's core. Sorry, Steven. All we can do now is watch and see if he's right or wrong."

Steven looked out the main view port as they passed Neptune and the third fleet. Now they were too far gone. From there lay the void of cold space.

He then watched the new _Normandy _as it flew straight past pluto and the ruined Sol Relay.

"Matriarch, we're reading an intense power surge from the _SR-3_." Tactical said. "Looks like that smart drive of theirs is powering up..."

The _Normandy's _engines then lit up with a bright, blue glow! There was a giant electical discharge as the ship was surrounded in energy! Then a flash, and it was gone.

_Tuchanka_

Urdnot Bakara looked up at the sky sadly from a Krogan command post. Her pregnancy was now in full swing. She was already at the final stage. Any moment now, and she could go into labor. She wished Wrex was here. To see their child when it came time.

That's when she saw a blinding flash of light, like a giant comet, streak across the sky. Amazingly, it slowed down. She saw something then enter the atmosphere! It was a ship!

Wratchet then walked up to her.

"Bakara, we're reciving a transmision from a ship called the _Normandy SR-3_." He said. "It's Wrex. He says... He's home."

Bakara looked at Wratchet form underneath her veil. "Are you sure it's him?"

Wratchet nodded. "He got here with help from one Micheal Hackett and his crew. They're landing at the old spaceport."

"...Ready a shuttle to take me there." She ordered.

"Conisder it done." Wratchet responded.

_Normandy SR-3_

_Landing pad_

_Krogan Spaceport_

_Tuchanka_

_21:00 Hours Local time_

"Landing gear deployed." Jester said. The _SR-3_then slowly descended over the landing pad, touching down. "We have landed."

"About time." Wrex said as he walked onto CIC heading to the dock, escorted by Ziggz.

Micheal couldn't believe it. He had done it! He had done the impossible! His drive worked! It actually worked!

Ziggsz stopped in front of Micheal. He then noticed him crying.

"What's the matter with you?"

"We did it..." He sobbed. "We actually did it..."


End file.
